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Running head: MENTAL ILLNESS 1
Mental Illness
Student’s Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
MENTAL ILLNESS 2
Mentally Illness
The vulnerable population I will be addressing in this paper is the mentally ill. Mental
illness is a common occurrence that is often ignored in the world today. A report by the World
Health Organization showed that around 450 million people in the world have a mental illness
(Auerbach, Mortier, Bruffaerts, Alonso, Benjet, Cuijpers, & Murray, 2018). The highest rate of
mental illness occurs in the United States (Auerbach et al., 2018). Unfortunately, both the
general public and medical professionals have limited knowledge of mental illness, which causes
those affected to go untreated (Auerbach et al., 2018). This paper will discuss the risk factors for
mental illness and some of the interview questions that can be used when interrogating a
mentally ill patient and a professional dealing with mentally ill patients. The professional I will
be interrogating is a therapist working in a mental health institution. I will then interview a
patient who has been receiving treatment from the institution.
Risk Factors
There are different factors that may cause mental illness. Some of the causes of mental
illness include the following:
1. Inherited traits (Johnson & Gillum, 2019). Research has shown that some genes may
predispose an individual to mental illness (Johnson & Gillum, 2019). For example,
someone who has a family history of depression and schizophrenia and depression will
probably develop the conditions due to a genetic predisposition (Johnson & Gillum,
2019).
2. Environmental exposure before birth can also cause mental illness. If a child is exposed
to environmental stressors such as alcohol, drugs, toxins or an infection before birth, he
MENTAL ILLNESS 3
or she is more likely to develop a mental condition (Johnson & Gillum, 2019). For
example, alcohol exposure during pregnancy may cause mental retardation.
3. Brain chemistry. The brain contains neurotransmitters which are naturally occurring
chemicals to transmit signals to and from other parts of the body (Johnson & Gillum,
2019). If the neural networks involving the chemicals are compromised, the function of
nerve systems and nerve receptors change, which may cause depression or other
emotional disorders (Johnson & Gillum, 2019).
Stressful life situations. Stressful situations such as the loss of a loved one or job stress 4.
may lead to chronic stress, which may, in turn, affect the body's biological mechanisms
of a person (Johnson & Gillum, 2019). Chronic stress increases the risk of developing
depression and anxiety (Johnson & Gillum, 2019). When the brain senses a stressful
event, it releases neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters include serotonin and
adrenaline. These chemicals cause a release of stress hormones that affect the parts of the
brain that regulate emotions and memory (Johnson & Gillum, 2019). Repeated stress
exposure alters how the memory and emotional systems control stress response (Johnson
& Gillum, 2019). Prolonged stress may also cause a constant activation of the immune
system, which may lead to depression (Johnson & Gillum, 2019).
5. Chronic medical condition. Lifelong mental conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and
HIV/AIDs may cause stress consequently leading to depression (Johnson & Gillum,
2019).
MENTAL ILLNESS 4
6. Traumatic experiences. Working in the military or a traumatic occurrence such as an
accident or assault may also lead to mental illness (Johnson & Gillum, 2019). Traumatic
experiences cause short-term stress, which may disrupt the hormones and
neurotransmitters involved in normal stress response. Traumatic events may also cause
the amygdala to become hyperactive, consequently causing post-traumatic stress disorder
(Johnson & Gillum, 2019).
7. Alcohol and drug abuse. If an individual has a predisposition for psychotic illness such as
schizophrenia, the consumption of drugs such as marijuana may trigger the condition
(Johnson & Gillum, 2019). Using drugs may also increase signs of mental illness and
make treatment less effective (Johnson & Gillum, 2019).
8. People with mental illness face various challenges due to their conditions. One of the
main challenge faced by the mentally ill is the lack of proper care systems. In most health
facilities, mental illness is not taken as seriously as other conditions. The reluctance to
attend to mental illness affects the quality of care offered to the mental ill (Rüsch,
Angermeyer, & Corrigan, 2015).
MENTAL ILLNESS 5
9. Mental illness also affects the daily functioning of the affected individuals. Depression
and other mood disorders may cause lethargy, which may reduce the performance of the
affected individuals (Rüsch, Angermeyer, & Corrigan, 2015).
10. Mental illness may also cause a financial burden to the affected individuals and their
families. Some mental conditions, such as schizophrenia are lifelong, thus require regular
care (Rüsch, Angermeyer, & Corrigan, 2015). Regular care further may be expensive,
which increases the financial burden of the affected individuals.
Questions for the Professional
1. What is your role in this institution?
2. What is the goal of your institution?
3. What does your organization do to care for the mentally ill?
4. Do you think the strategies used by your organization will help it achieve its goals on
mental wellness?
5. What kind of patients does your institution admit?
6. Do you offer outpatient or in-patient services?
MENTAL ILLNESS 6
7. What is the most challenging thing have you faced in your career?
8. Do you think that the government can help promote mental health awareness?
9. How do you deal with job challenges?
10. Do you think your patients are well-informed about their conditions?
11. What strategies have your organization used to increase patient education?
12. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Questions for the Patient
1. Tell me about yourself?
2. When were you diagnosed with the condition?
3. What prompted you to seek medical attention?
4. Do you have family members with a similar condition?
5. What do you think triggered your symptoms?
6. How did your family respond during the initial stage of your diagnosis?
7. Do you have self-care strategies?
8. How would you describe your support system?
9. Has the treatment you have been received alleviated your symptoms?
MENTAL ILLNESS 7
10. What has been the most challenging thing since your diagnosis?
11. What do you think would be done to improve the quality of mental health care?
12. Is there anything else you would like to add?
References
Auerbach, R. P., Mortier, P., Bruffaerts, R., Alonso, J., Benjet, C., Cuijpers, P., &Murray, E.
(2018). WHO World Mental Health Surveys International College StudentProject:
prevalence and distribution of mental disorders. Journal of abnormal psychology, 127(7),
623.
Johnson, L., & Gillum, N. L. (2019). Understanding mental illness.
Rüsch, N., Angermeyer, M. C., & Corrigan, P. W. (2015). Mental illness stigma: Concepts,
consequences, and initiatives to reduce stigma. European Psychiatry, 20(8), 529-539.
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